Testimony of Sabitri Basnet

Sabriti Basnet, 20 years old, Management Step,

First Batch, Green Village Kathmandu

I have been listening to various media, Covid-19 is running without a passport, visa surbiter, flying, crossing borders and consolidating the world. Not only that, things like self-quarantine, self-isolation, social distance have become commonplace these days. As we are training in the Green Village, the impact of the spread of coronavirus gradually begins to occur in Nepal as well.

After coming home with my family for several months, I was able to relax my mind. Gradually a wave of fear and panic ensued, with our Nepal government enforcing stricter rules, Initially there was no clear information about Covid 19, but since Corona has started killing a lot of people in other countries, I too have been spending the day with my siblings saying that I have to wash my hands 3 times a day and talk about Covid 19.

Perhaps, nowadays it is not just me, people from all over the country are living in a cage for fear of the virus. Even though the country is locked up, it is good to see from one side, that even the tens of thousands of children, who do not even come to the village, have gone to visit their parents. Baba (father), who always comes home at 8/9 pm, will stay home all day and play with his children. The lockdown is for parents who have not seen a child, for many years with children who are not sitting with their parents for many hours. For many years, birds that have not been able to fly in the open sky have been a major cause of emotional and family contact.

My mother is a vegetable seller, she goes to pick vegetables from the farm without even eating anything early. Maybe my mother gives family a priority over her health! I couldn't remind her. Now, because of Covid-19 or black-market by a trader is increasing, both wholesale and retail department stores now have a shortage of cleaning liquid, hand-washing liquid, rice, gas, vegetables, and water in Kathmandu. Masks and sanitizers are almost finished as soon as they arrive at different stores. I went four times to buy vegetables but had to return empty handed. But thankfully, the gas was brought to the shopkeeper four days ago by naming the person, even though we had sat in line from 8 am to 4 pm.

We, middle class people, often use sanitizer, tissue, and masks. Even though my mom and brother didn't even know how to use the sanitizer, thankfully me and my sister reminded them.

Since the order of 'Stay Home' or 'Shelter in Place' has been implemented all over the state, my neighbors have been sitting in the sun and talking with each other about their societies. Neighbors were saying, "The Hindus used to know how to salute long ago; but now the whole world has finally adopted the practice of salutation." Maybe they were laughing towards the world.

Whatever the case, hopefully as the days pass slowly, Covid-19 may even disappear from the world...